I'm typically a roundwound rocker, but one of my bands plays a lot of Motown and classic rock so I use flats. The only problem is that they do a song (Walk the Dinosaur) where I'd prefer a modern slap tone, but I just muddle through slapping on flats because I don't want the band to wait on me while I change basses.

Actually, another issue is that my fingers were definitely NOT accustomed to the feel of flats, the feel was downright weird at first, but I've been spending more rehearsal time on that bass so I'm getting there.

Cool story. You'd cover a ton of tonal ground if you added a P-bass to your arsenal, but you've discovered that already.

You definitely tried it the best way - in a band mix. P with flats is the Cinderella of basses. At home, alone, doesn't impress you as being particularly hot. Take her to the Ball, though, and it's a total transformation.

I never knew I wanted a P until I was playing drums in a band with a bass player that normally played a Jazz. Between songs one time, he switched to his P bass and I didn't notice that he'd done so. The next song, we're playing along and I suddenly noticed "man! The bass suddenly sounds great! It got some balls from somewhere!" And I looked over and saw what he'd done (changed basses). THAT is when I knew I had to get my first P bass.

Don't get me wrong, now. I always thought he sounded good with his J (Squier Active Deluxe V). It just went to 11 when he switched to his (crusty, old late 70s Fender) P.

Flats work with all styles of music and everyone is right - once you use them, there is no turning back. I have used them for years on my Ibanez ATK305 (my main bass) and I play hard/alt rock now, but have used them for rockabilly and garage rock. You may have to eq things a little differently, but that is a small price to pay for the feel, sound and love they give your finger tips!!! Rock on!

.....The only problem is that they do a song (Walk the Dinosaur) where I'd prefer a modern slap tone, but I just muddle through slapping on flats because I don't want the band to wait on me while I change basses.

Click to expand...

I play a US Precision and like a bright sound on some songs and an old-school thumpy tone on others.

After trying several different types of flats on my P-bass I have settled on the brightest ones I could find.

I figure I now have (almost) the best of both worlds:
Turn the tone right up and the sound is very bright, almost round wound like.
Turn it down and it's "old school", enough for my taste anyway.

As long as I keep cleaning my strings thoroughly after every use they retain most of their original brightness.

I put flats on my American P-5 standard because when I was about 13 my first bass was a P with flats which I managed to make sound bad. So I put em on due to all the fuss about flats on P- basses, WOW was it sweet. All those years of playing rounds made them feel like butter, the smooth shifting was really nice so I'm leaving them on.